Week 1 – GCMS Project

Learning Community 7 is ready to take on a new adventure and after our fabulous planning session this morning with George Couros @gcouros and Jesse McLean @jmclean77 we are beginning to brainstorm what our “Big Ideas” look like for our 1-to-1 iPad project at Greystone!!! Understanding that this pilot project is about exploring opportunities the iPads offer to help further our learning, both inside and beyond the walls of our school, we are going to have to take some risks. We are not going to have all of the answers or a foundation of knowledge and experience to guide us, which is somewhat daunting when we think about handing the students their iPads first thing Tuesday morning. What we do know is that we are open and committed to the learning that we, alongside our students, are going to experience during this process. And it is just that, a process.

First and foremost we hope to inspire our students to reach beyond the boundaries of our school to access, use, create and share their learning in ways that they may not otherwise be able to accomplish without the constant accessibility of an iPad. Second, we as learners hope to gain knowledge and skills that will help us incorporate mobile learning resources for the benefit of our students through consistent reflection and sharing of the successes, challenges and further learning opportunities of the project.

In terms of projects, specifically we are focusing on 3 major aspects:

1. Humanities – Each student is going to be set up with a PSD Blogs account, so students will be responsible for sharing their learning beyond the walls of the school. We are going to encourage students to blog about topics of their choice, as well as curriculum specific responses and reflections of the iPad project. Students will focus on developing and sharpening ICT skills including but not limited to: creating links, embedding videos, exporting files and participating in several online communities. Further, we are going to expect students to engage in the process of giving constructive feedback, focussing on digital citizenship.

2. Science- Students are going to be using the iPads for the creation and sharing of a time lapse photography video highlighting important information on plant growth. Specifically, we will be looking at using the iPads to record and display observations made during scientific studies on plant growth. We will also be using the iPads to record the various stages and processes involved in the growth of a plant as well as look at the various parts of a plant and each part’s function. Hopefully, students will also be able to use the iPads as a reference to research additional information on how to setup good quality scientific studies.

3. Exploration – We are hoping to give students the opportunity to use the iPads comprehensively. In order to understand how we can implement the iPads effectively in the classroom, we need to give the students the chance to explore and share their knowledge and experiences about what is working and what is not. We are hoping to have students using a variety of organizational apps, like calendars, reminders and utilities, but will be encouraging students to communicate which apps make their learning experiences more successful.

As we embark on our 1-to-1 journey we welcome any suggestions, questions or feedback…stay tuned for updates!!!

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3 thoughts on “Week 1 – GCMS Project”

Great start! It is exciting to see the Board’s Vision of exploration, imagination, creativity come alive! Learning to use tools such as ipads to facilitate learning will no doubt support our ultimate goal of student success and wellness. We are in a new era and we need to be responsive to the needs of our 21st century learners. Look forward to hearing more!

[…] installment of their research, I was thrilled to see what educators Jenna Wilkins and Brad Arndt wrote about the beginning of this project: Understanding that this pilot project is about exploring opportunities the iPads offer to help […]

[…] installment of their research, I was thrilled to see what educators Jenna Wilkins and Brad Arndt wrote about the beginning of this project: Understanding that this pilot project is about exploring opportunities the iPads offer to help […]